Take Me Away
by Kinetic Girl 69
Summary: Gabi's losing herself. Troy doesn't realize it, because he's got problems of his own. If they don't hold on to each other they will definitely fall apart.
1. Is it that easy?

**No One's POV.**

"Hi Troy!" Gabriella yelled out to her boyfriend.

"Hey babe." Troy took her into a hug and swung her around. He set her down and gave her a gentle kiss. "What's going on?"

"Nothing just checking on you." She poked his shoulder playfully. "You ready for tonight?" Troy gave her a questioning look. "You know, the musical. Hello? Arnold and Minnie, TwinkleTowne. That thing that you and I have been rehearsing for the past month?"

Troy smiled at her. "I was so joking. I knew what you were talking about. And yeah, I'm totally psyched."

"Troy, no one says psyched anymore." Gabriella teased.

"Well, sorry, miss vocabulary. Would you prefer some word like zealous or evangelical? I don't even know what they mean."

"Yeah either would work. I got to get to class." She leaned towards him, gave him a quick kiss, and ran off to her next class. Troy walked away going over all his lines for the big TwinkleTowne event. He wanted the musical to go perfectly, with no mistakes. Since he was otherwise preoccupied, Troy was late for class and landed himself in detention. He couldn't go. They had a quick rehearsal then. Troy needed to skip the detention even if it meant even more trouble. He needed to make sure he was ready.

**Rehearsal**

"Ok, everyone. Lets go from Arnold and Minnie's last song til the end. I think we need a little more practice with the effects there." Ms. Darbus ordered. Troy's face lit up and so did Gabi's. This was their favorite scene. The last song, romantic obviously finished with a deep kiss. The two have them have come a long way in the time they have been practicing. The first time they tried the last scene, lets just say it was a nightmare. The music started and they sang in perfect harmony. It was the best ending they'd ever had. "Bravo! That's the best I've seen! Do it JUST like that for the show tonight." Ms. Darbus clapped her hands feverishly.

Troy and Gabriella smiled at each other. By now, they weren't ashamed of kissing on stage in front of a bunch of people. Gabriella didn't even blush. "That was awesome you guys!" Sharpay ran up and gave Gabi a big hug. "You guys are going to be great tonight."

"I so agree." Ryan called from some place behind the curtain.

"Thanks guys." Troy put his arm on Gabriella's shoulder.

"Yeah," Gabi said, "But we couldn't have done it with out your help. If you guys hadn't rehearsed with us we would have never come this far."

"Definitely." Troy agreed.

"Thanks!" Sharpay flipped her hair.

"Ok, that's enough chatting. Go back to where ever you're supposed to be." Ms. Darbus interrupted. The group scattered away from one anther. Ryan and Sharpay left to go to the computer lab. Gabriella went to go tutor some of the senior math students even though she's only a sophomore. And Troy left for detention. He walked down the hall worried about what the detention supervisor might say.

"Troy Bolton?" The fat man behind the desk asked.

"Yeah."

"Your late."

"I know that." Troy smirked.

"Who gave you this detention?" The fat man asked.

"Mr. Stevens." Troy answered. The man behind the desk scribbled something onto a piece of paper and folded it in half.

"Go to Mr. Stevens and give him this. See what he says."

"Okay." Troy left to find Mr. Stevens. He expected to find him in the library, but instead found him in the middle of the hallway talking to Troy's dad. Troy walked up to them and was relieved to hear them talking about the basketball team's record and not him.

"Aren't you supposed to be in detention?" Mr. Stevens said when he noticed Troy standing behind him.

"Yes."

"Then why are you here?" Troy thrust the note into Mr. Stevens's face. He quickly read it and then pulled Troy away from his dad.

"This will cost you all of next week's free periods. Maybe that will teach you a lesson." Mr. Steven's six foot four inch frame towered above Troy.

"Okay."

"Is that all you can say? Aren't you sorry for yourself? Are you going to fight back like all the other kids?"

"No." Troy answered simply.

"Okay then. I guess we'll see you after school then."

"Umm, that's a problem. You see, I play a lead roll in the school's musical and it's tonight. I can't stay after for detention." Troy retorted.

"Yes you can. You see the good thing about taking a drama class your senior year is that you can stop kids who are lying to you in situations like this. In drama I learned that for the lead rolls there are these things called understudies. They play the part instead of you incase you cant make the show. Which is exactly what you're doing." Troy's heart sunk. The thought of Ryan having to kiss Gabi at the end just got him mad.

"I'm sorry Mr. Stevens. You're going to have to schedule it for another night."

"Ok, how about the next month? Everyday after school. Does that sound good?" he smiled.

"I guess so." Troy looked away.

"Now go away before I change my mind and make it for the rest of the year!" Mr. Stevens turned and went back to the conversation with Troy's dad. Troy went off to find Gabriella. He figured that the seniors would be happy to skip the rest of tutoring for today. On his way up the stairs the lunch bell rang. It was later than he had thought.

Troy grabbed his lunch and headed to his usual table of about a month. He waited for Gabi, Chad, Taylor, Sharpay, Zeke, Jason and Kelsi to join him. Kelsi was the first to come.

"Hey Troy." She smiled.

"Hi Kelsi, how was your day?" Troy had never seen her this smiley before.

"Oh nothing special. It's just that tonight's the night of the musical and my mom is coming from New York to watch. She said she was very excited to see my composition."

"That's great Kels." Troy smiled. Kelsi's mom and dad divorced when Kelsi was twelve. Her mom was an alcoholic. She went to rehab though and got a little better. She's told Kelsi time and time again that she would come for her birthday or some other event, but so far she's only managed to make it to Kelsi's 16th birthday. Troy really hoped that she'd make it to this one. Zeke joined the twosome at the table.

"Hi guys. I baked some cookies for the table today. Everyone has to eat one for good luck tonight." He pulled a bag of chocolate chip cookies out from his bag.

"Thanks Zeke." Kelsi said. She took a cookie and set it on her tray.

"Thanks Zeke." Ryan and Sharpay said in unison as they each grabbed their cookies. Neither Troy nor Kelsi had seen them coming.

"You're welcome babe." Zeke said to Shar.

"Thank you Zeke." Gabriella came up from behind him and grabbed a cookie. "Mmm, they're delicious."

Next was Chad and Taylor. They both came about ten seconds later and took there cookies. The gang chatted about nothing really for a little while.

"There are two cookies left. Who wants them?" Zeke asked once everyone was finished with there food.

"I'll have one!" Jason said.

"Me too!" Gabi called the last one.

"How could you eat that much, Gabi? You're lucky you don't blow up like a balloon." Sharpay teased. Gabi pretended like she didn't hear her and sank her teeth into the yummy cookie.

The lunch bell rang and the gang went there next classes. "Meet me after school, by the swings." Troy said to Gabriella once everyone had left.

"Okay. I'll be there." Gabi winked and hurried off to the bathroom. Maybe Sharpay was right. Maybe she had eaten way to much. Maybe she was going to blow up like a balloon. Maybe she already was a blown up balloon. Gabi thrust her fingers down her throat and up came her entire lunch. _Is it that easy?_ She thought.

**A/N: Does it sound good? Please review!**


	2. Nervous?

**Last Time.**

"_How could you eat that much, Gabi? You're lucky you don't blow up like a balloon." Sharpay teased. Gabi pretended like she didn't hear her and sank her teeth into the yummy cookie._

_The lunch bell rang and the gang went there next classes. "Meet me after school, by the swings." Troy said to Gabriella once everyone had left._

"_Okay. I'll be there." Gabi winked and hurried off to the bathroom. Maybe Sharpay was right. Maybe she had eaten way to much. Maybe she was going to blow up like a balloon. Maybe she already was a blown up balloon. Gabi thrust her fingers down her throat and up came her entire lunch. _Is it that easy?_ She thought._

* * *

**After school.**

Gabi hurried off to the swings to meet Troy. When she got there, she found Troy swinging back and forth to the beat of whatever song his iPod was playing.

"Hey Troy." Gabriella said to him. He didn't look up. "Troy!" She tried again. Still, he sat rocking to the beat. "TROY!"

He jumped about a foot. "What?" He looked up to see who was calling him. "Oh, sorry Gabriella. I thought it was someone else. Come here." He patted the swing next to him.

"It's OK." Gabriella sat down on the swing. The rusty chains holding the swing collapsed under her weight. Gabi fell the two feet to the ground.

Troy burst out laughing. "I guess you're to heavy for the swings." He joked with her.

_To heavy? Even my boyfriend thinks that. I think I need to start going on a strict diet._ Gabriella thought. But instead she laughed along with him.

Troy got off his swing and went around to help her. The chains of his swing had just been redone. He reached out his hand and pulled her up. Troy kissed her lightly on the forehead. "Are you OK?"

"Yeah, my elbow hurts a little though." She lifted her arm to show Troy the small scrape.

"Aww. Here." He kissed the scrape lightly.

"All better." Gabriella smiled brightly. "So what did you want to meet me here for?"

"I just thought I could drive you home. I didn't want you to have to take the bus home on such a special day like this." He winked.

"Yeah, even though we have to be back here at 4:45. We barely have time to get ready."

"Gabi, how much do you really have to get ready? The make-up is done here. You're clothes are here too. What more do you need?"

She laughed at him. "I need to take a shower, have dinner, and pick out my clothes for after the show."

"Well, I think I can spare you of one of the things on your list." He smiled.

"Oh really? And what would that be?"

"Dinner. I was thinking I could take you out after the show."

"Troy, that's the dumbest idea I've heard since...I don't know what!" He gave her a questioning look. "Hello? The show's at 7:30. We wont be done until about 9:15. Then all of the people giving us congratulations and asking questions. We won't get out of there til about 10:00. I want to sleep as soon as possible because, we have a show tomorrow at 2 which we have to be there at 10:00. Then we stay after the show until the next one at 7:30. That leaves us no time at all to go out." She smiled at him, knowing that she proved him wrong.

"Ok, I guess you're right. I suppose we should be leaving now."

"Yes. Let's go." Gabriella smiled. Troy took her hand and they walked to his car. He opened the door for her and they headed home.

Once Gabi got home she jumped in the shower. Her mom wasn't home yet, so she figured she had time. Gabriella wasted about twenty minutes picking out the perfect outfit to wear after the show. She ran downstairs and waited for her mom. Despite her terrible hunger, Gabi didn't eat. Her show was in a couple of hours and she didn't want to look fat for it. Finally her mom came through the door.

"Mom! Where have you been? We're going to be late!" Gabi ran to yell at her mom.

"Sorry hun. The meeting ran late. Did you eat something? We don't want you to be passing out during your big show."

"Yes mom." Gabi lied.

"All right then. Let's go." Ms. Montez turned around and followed her exact route that she came in on.

The ride to the school was definitely quiet. "Are you nervous?" Gabriella's mom asked her when they pulled up to the door.

"A little." She admitted.

"Well, call me if you need me. I'll be back at 7:00. Gives me some extra time to get my seats. Good luck honey. I love you."

"Love you too, mom." Gabi hopped out of the car and ran inside. She saw Troy leaning on the wall in front of the room the Drama Club was meeting in.

"Where were you?" Troy asked concerned.

"Sorry, Mom's meeting ran late." Gabi grabbed Troy's hand and hustled inside.

"Okay," Ms. Darbus said. There was not a doubt at all that she was angry at Gabriella for being late. "Now that we're all here, is everyone ready?"

A chorus of yeses were heard throughout the room.

"How about we warm up our voices first, while the special effect people check the set– make sure everything's working properly."

Several students left the room to check the sets. Ms. Darbus played several scales and warm-ups for the actors.

After a while warm-ups were finished and it was time to move on to something else. "How about we go over lines starting from the beginning."

Kelsi spoke up, "Do you want us to skip the songs?"

"No," she answered. "Why don't you do them." Kelsi took her usual spot on the piano bench. She played the opening song as the whole group sang. The song was followed by the rest of the lines and songs. Before they knew it, it was time for the performance.

"Okay everyone." Ms. Darbus called, "time to show them what we got." The others in the room laughed at her. They filed out of the drama room and left for behind the stage. Troy grabbed Gabriella's hand. They stood in the center of the line of cast members. Everyone was ready for the opening song.

"Nervous?" Troy asked her. But she didn't have time to answer for the music started playing and the curtain began to rise. It was time to go.

**A/N: What did you think? Will the musical be perfect? Find out! Review:) **


	3. Woah

_**Last Time-**_

"_Nervous?" Troy asked her. But she didn't have time to answer for the music started playing and the curtain began to rise. It was time to go.

* * *

_

The opening musical had gone perfectly. Everyone remembered their lines and the special effects were expertly coordinated. The crowd loved the talented group. Only two more shows to go.

After most of the audience had left, except for a few stragglers and some parents, Troy went searching for Gabriella. He wanted to tell her goodnight and congrats. They had gotten split up with the wild crowd asking questions and giving their praises. Finally, he found her lapping up water like a dog that hadn't had a drink in several days, at the drinking fountain. He had never seen someone drink like that.

"Gabi?" Troy cleared his throat. She jumped startled, and wiped her mouth.

"Oh hey Troy. Wasn't the musical amazing?" She danced a little circle around him.

"Stop! You're getting me dizzy." Gabriella laughed along with Troy, but she didn't stop prancing around him. "Okay. That's good." Troy smiled and wrapped his arms around her to stop this silly dance.

"Troy!" She turned around in his arms and planted a soft kiss on Troy's lips. This attracted the few remaining people and Troy saw the flashes of cameras blinking in his eyes. He pulled away from her.

"Not here." he whispered into her ear. She smiled and entwined her hand in his. The couple walked like that down the hallway toward the exit where they saw both their families waiting.

"Hold up." Troy stopped suddenly. He pointed down the hallway to where a scrunched up figure lay. They heard whimpering.

"Come on." Gabi whispered, pulling her boyfriend toward the crying being.

As they got closer Troy said, "Is that Kels?" Gabi squinted her eyes and then nodded in agreement. They both knew what had happened. Her mom hadn't been there for the musical.

"Kelsi?" Gabriella whispered.

"Hmm?" She sniffed loudly and wiped her nose. But she didn't turn to look at the visitors.

Troy and Gabriella crouched down beside her. Gabi began rubbing her back soothingly and Troy tried to get her to get up. With many encouraging words the two managed to get Kelsi out of her scrunched position and into a standing one.

"Maybe she'll come to tomorrow's show." Gabi said.

"Maybe her flight got delayed." Troy suggested.

"I don't think so guys." Kelsi looked down at her new shoes. They were sequenced and black to match her beautiful dress. Sharpay had picked it out for her.

"It's going to be okay." Gabi soothed.

"You know what!" Kelsi stood straight now and spoke with a hint of anger in her voice. "Every birthday or special occasion she always does this. ALWAYS! And I always get down thinking that it's my fault she's not here. Like I'm not good enough. But I think the truth is that she's to drunk to ever remember ANY of her promises! I HATE HER!" She was now screaming and a small crowd had gathered at the front of the hallway.

"Calm down Kels." Troy whispered.

"NO! SHE CANNOT DO THIS TO ME ANYMORE! I'M DONE!" Kelsi pushed through the crowd and out into the parking lot.

"Woah." Troy said to his girlfriend.

"Woah is right." she returned. The pair got back on their original track to their parents.

"See you tomorrow." Troy kissed her cheek.

"Yup. Hopefully the next one will be as good as today's." She smiled at him and they both went off to their families.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry it took so long to update! and sorry it was so short. lol. I was at camp. I'm going to Europe for two weeks on Saturday, so yeah...If I get ten more reviews by then I will definitely update before I leave.

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**

_Next time..._

Chocolate Chip Pancakes

911!


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